


Starscream Meets Mothman

by FoolishGlint



Series: Starscream Meets Cryptids [4]
Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Mild Gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:40:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26620819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FoolishGlint/pseuds/FoolishGlint
Summary: Starscream has a decision to make.
Series: Starscream Meets Cryptids [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1930696
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Starscream Meets Mothman

Starscream was organizing various tech and debris in the Harbinger, he had been on a cleaning spree now that his exile was going to be more permanent. The amount of dust the old ship had collected was staggering, and getting rid of it was an uphill battle. Despite Starscream’s distaste for manual labour, he excelled at it. This was mainly due to Stormwing, his superior back when the Energon Seekers still existed. As an eager young private, Starscream thirsted to spill blood on the battlefield. But instead there was excruciating training, and a strict cleanliness policy.

Once Starscream was satisfied with his work he opted out onto the deck to recharge in the sun. Starscream stretched and vented contently. And then he felt a shiver run down his spine. Something was watching him. Jumping to his pedes Starscream held up his servos, ready for combat. A voice came to him from the desert.

“Are you satisfied with the choices you made?” 

It was a low and smooth voice, that sounded like the person speaking was right against his helm. Starscream groaned. It was another encounter with the weird and all knowing. 

“What do you want from me this time,” he asked, having already given in.

“If you could go back, would you have made the same choices?”

Starscream paused for a bit, and thought of his past mistakes.

“For certain.”

“But are you certain?”

“If your intent is to anger me with your inane questions then you’re doing a fine job of it’” he snapped.

The other was silent for a bit and then asked another question.

“Do you wish to change the future?”

“For better or for worse?”

“That is up for you to decide.”

“How can I change the future when I don’t even know what I’m changing?” Starscream was getting very irate at this point.

There was a shadow, streaking across the desert floor, and the other was in front of him. It was unnervingly fast. It was covered in black feathers and had arms and legs. But on its back were two giant wings. Its eyes were shut tight, however, and Starscream felt great unease as it spoke again.

“Would you like to see?”  
In this moment Starscream knew that his choice would drastically change the future for him. For better or worse.

“Yes.”

The thing opened its eyes. They were a deep pure red that were alight with knowledge. Starscream stared into the abyss, and it stared back. He saw a vision, Airachnid, Breakdown, and an unknown blue seeker in the forest, and Airachnid spearing Breakdown through his chest. He heard the scream.

Shaken, Starscream purged his tanks on the desert floor. The other closed its eyes.

“What will you do now, what choice will you make, what path will you take?” 

And in true cryptid fashion, it left as quick as it arrived. Starscream forced his legs to stop shaking, and began to run to the forest where he had seen them. He didn’t have a plan, but he was sure that one was going to come to him eventually.

Starscream situated himself amongst the crags and waited for Dreadwing’s arrival. For the second time, he had returned to rescue Breakdown. He remembered the first time, when Breakdown had been captured by MECH, and how Megatron had been content to let him rust

. Quite hypocritical of him, saying that those who have fallen to weaker prey deserved their fate, despite his spectacular defeat at the hands of the Autobots. How frail Megatron was when he was desperately clinging to life in space, it wasn’t by his strength that he survived, the blood of Unicron was the only thing that let him live. Not to mention Breakdown had been weakened by Bulkhead and the humans had caught them both unaware. 

Starscream could write a book on everything Megatron was wrong about, but was brought out of his musings by the sound of a ground bridge activating. Airachnid sauntered out with her usual swagger, followed by Dreadwing and Breakdown. 

“Am I the only one here who considers this to be overkill on Lord Megatron’s part? I mean dispatching two of his most proficient warriors to track down one confirmed energon spike,” Airachnid said smoothly.

“Megatron knows me and Dreadwing here will get the job down,'' Breakdown motioned to himself and Dreadwing.

Airachnid smiled patronizingly at him.

“Actually I was referring to Dreadwing and myself.”

Breakdown growled and moved in for an attack, but Dreadwing stopped him. 

” Breakdown, remain on task. THis must be a unified effort.”

Starscream instantly saw what was going to happen, he had seen that smirk on Airachnid’s face so many times.

“Indeed Breakdown,” she drawled;” I know we’ve never seen eyes to eye, but that doesn’t mean we can’t patch things up.”

Breakdown snarled, “That's it!” and charged forward. Dreadwing couldn’t stop him this time.

Airachnid transformed to her spider form and leapt into the trees. She shot a web into Breakdown’s good optic, who struggled to get it off. Dreadwing charged forward with his gun, attempting to shoot her down. Starscream watched all this unfold like some sort of action movie, wondering when he should make an appearance. Airachnid tangled Dreadwing to a tree, but he managed to shoot the branch she was perched on, causing her to fall and receive a gaping wound in her side. One of her spider legs fell to the forest floor.

Unsurprisingly, Airachnid chose to flee as Breakdown managed to break free from her threads. He chased after her, leaving Dreadwing tied up, even as he shouted for Breakdown to free him. ‘Does he only have a processor when he’s around Knockout, because that would explain so much’ thought Starscream as he ran past Breakdown and caught up with Airachnid, keeping himself hidden. She spun a line of web across two rocks and laid down like a damsel in distress, spreading her energon around to look like she was bleeding out. One of the oldest trick in the book. Breakdown lumbered through the trees, following the trail of spilt blood. He grinned when he saw Airachnid laying down, venting laboriously.

“Easy prey.”

Breakdown moved in closer, raising his hammer to deal the final blow. Only to get stuck on the web she had laid out. He grunted as he tried to escape, but he couldn’t. Airachnid stood up, shedding her false pretenses, and prepared to stab him with her spider leg. 

Breakdown closed his optic, awaiting the attack. Instead he heard her scream and then she was silenced. He opened his optic. Starscream stood over her dead body, which had her severed appendage sticking out of the wound Dreadwing made earlier. 

Starscream smirked with his trademarked smugness at him.

“Hello Breakdown, missed me?”

“You came back for me commander,’ Breakdown couldn’t help grinning even as he said that.

“I am not your commander anymore,” Starscream frowned slightly

“Titles don’t mean anything anyway.”

“I suppose so.”

Breakdown struggled out of the trap and surveyed Airachnid’s body, making sure she wasn’t alive.

“So commander, do you want to come back to the Decepticons, I gotta warn you though, Dreadwing has taken your position as Air Commander,” Breakdown asked, somewhat hopefully;“ But maybe Megatron will give you your rank back, you did manage to offline Airachnid.”

Starscream shook his helm;” Actually, I don’t want you to tell anyone that I was here, nor that I assisted you.”

Breakdown looked stupefied.

“But this is the perfect opportunity for you to come back. Even if you don’t get your rank back, you’ll still be able to work your way up again. Are you seriously not going to take this chance?”

“The Decepticons are of no use to me anymore. The hostile environment aboard the Nemesis is detrimental to my health, and Soundwave is always watching,” Starscream explained to him, who was looking more and more shocked.

“Wait, are you defecting?” he asked in disbelief.

Starscream snarled.

“Not in the slightest! I am Starscream, and I bow to no one.”

Breakdown chuckled at his statement. He ducked when Starscream shot him an offended glare.

‘Yep, you’re still Starscream all right. But why did you save me?”

Starscream smiled that smile when he was going to explain his latest scheme.

“Considering my lack of resources, I’m going to need allies and energon. Which is where you come in.”

“You know, Megatron hasn’t been treating any of us that great lately. I do think it’s time for new management,” Breakdown said with a secretive smile.

“Excellent, here is my private comm link. Only contact me when you’re away from the Nemesis and alone.”

Starscream gave Breakdown the comm link and disappeared into the forest. It wasn’t until he was long gone that Breakdown wondered how he had known where the Decepticons were going to be.

**Author's Note:**

> Surprise! It's plot!


End file.
